


Brimming with Love

by MatrixMarvel



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Cutness, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Freeform, Kissing, Mentions of coffee, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Slow Burn, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Swearing, it might get dark, mentions of trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-05 02:42:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19039528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatrixMarvel/pseuds/MatrixMarvel
Summary: When Bucky Barnes stumbles into a coffee shop he meets Lexi Clark, the owner of the shop with a twist, she plays matchmaker for her customers. After some persuasion, Bucky agrees to be matched but finds it incredibly hard to connect with anyone Lexi matches him with. As time goes on, Bucky realises who his true match is and will go to extreme lengths to protect her from his enemies.





	1. Good Morning New York

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so, this is a Reader Insert but I've left out descriptions of the reader so it can relate to anyone (female obviously). I don't particularly like using Zoe so she does have a name but you could use your own name I guess?  
> Anyway enjoy!
> 
> Warning: Swearing

There was nothing better to kickstart your day than the mad rush of New Yorkers who seemed to pile into your café to grab some caffeine on the way to their working day. They were all your loyal and regular customers; most had been going there when your Aunt Tia had owned and run the coffee house. Still, the morning rush always kept you and your staff busy for at least an hour, some decided to drink in while most were rushing out of the door trying not to bump into any incoming customers. Each one you greeted with a friendly hello and some by name, already second guessing their orders and you were usually right, making your work slightly easier on yourself.

  
After the morning rush you usually sat down at one of your own tables, either Tyler or Ellie would ask you if you needed a drink, God your staff were gems. You needed to caffeine to go through the motions of running a business, paying bills on time, ordering supplies, making sure you had enough money in case somehow the building was miraculously destroyed by aliens. For the amount of weird stuff you’d seen over the last decade or so, alien invasions were almost the norm in this day of age.

  
Mornings were usually quiet, so you used the time wisely to get jobs like that completed and ticked off the forever growing to do list, the café tended to pick up at lunchtime and into the afternoons. Depending on how busy it would get, you’d go back behind the counter to help Tyler and Ellie serve customers or on occasions, you’d have meetings to attend to too. Life was good, the café thrived and you wouldn’t want your life any other way.

  
Today traffic was a little quieter, you covered lunches for your staff before sitting back down at the table you’d been working at all morning with yet another cup of coffee, was that three now? You weren’t too sure. You were glad there weren’t as many customers, your finances weren’t adding up and it was starting to annoy the hell out of you what you were doing wrong or what expenses you were missing. You thought about leaving it for a while and going back to serving to give your brain a rest from the computer screen, but a small voice broke your train of thought.

  
“Excuse me, ma’am, do you mind if I sit here?”

  
You looked up to see a tall, dark-haired stranger standing at the table you were sat at, peering around him you noticed the influx in customers and all the tables had been taken now that business had picked up again. He wasn’t a regular or someone who came by every now and again, but he was very handsome, no extremely handsome and he looked vaguely familiar despite him wearing a somewhat nervous expression.

  
“Take a seat.” You smiled, gesturing your hand at the chair opposite you.

  
The stranger gave you a small smile in return and proceeded to sit, looking warily over his shoulder before he seemed to relax his shoulders just a fraction while he took a gulp of his coffee in his hands. The gloves that were on his hand made you curious about him, that and the fact you didn’t get many strangers visiting your café and even then, they had been recommended by their friends who already frequented it. However, he still wore a worried expression and you didn’t want to scare him off or make him even more nervous, so you decided to go back to your work and make the numbers add up. They would add up. You glanced up every now and again to check how many customers you had and on one occasion, you saw the man looking up at the wall behind you. Ten minutes later and still it was no good and you were getting frustrated by it all.

  
“For fucks sake.” You muttered under your breath, sighing in frustration at the same time.

  
“Hey, uh, everythin’ okay?” The man sat opposite you mumbled, you must’ve cursed louder than you thought.

  
You glanced up at him to meet his inquisitive gaze. “Sorry, these stupid numbers won’t add up.”

  
“It’s okay.” He chuckled lightly. “I’ve heard much worse. Said much worse.”

  
“Blame my Aunt, its where I get it from.” You said lightly.

  
“Are you a regular, here?” He asked casually.

  
“Yeah, you could say that. Why?” You eyed him suspiciously for a moment, wondering what his game was here.

  
“Well.” His blue eyes flicked back up seemingly at the wall behind you until they met yours once more. “Do you know who all these people are on this wall? Are they loyal customers or somethin’?”

  
You looked behind you to the wall and back to him. “Oh, they’re all the couple who have met here.” You told him and his eyes widened a little.

  
“Isn’t it romantic?” You heard Ellie say as she was walking up to a nearby table.

  
“Must be somethin’ in the coffee.” He commented, looking down at his steaming mug of black coffee.

  
“No, it’s Miss C. She calls matchmaking her secret weapon, she’s got a knack for it.” You explained to him.

  
“She set up all these people?”

  
“Oh yeah.” You nodded. “She’s pretty good.”

  
“Wow, that’s different.” He looked astonished at what he’d just been told, the same look that everyone wore when they first learned about the matchmaking service at Brimming with Love. “So, who’s Miss C?”

  
“She’s the owner of the place.” You replied just as Ellie came up to your table.

  
“Can I get you guys anything?” She enquired, with her notepad and pen at the ready.

  
“No, I’m good. Thank you.” He told her, politely.

  
“Can you get me another latte, El?”

  
“Comin’ right up!” Ellie responded with a friendly smile before hurrying away to take your order.

  
“Oh, I’ve not interrupted your work, have I?” He was looking at the laptop in front of you, anxiously.

  
“No.” You assured. “To be honest I need the break, this is doing my head in at the minute.” You gesture towards the laptop. “Where are my manners? I’m Lexi by the way.”

  
“James.” He introduced.

  
“I kinda put that together.” You said truthfully, giving him a sheepish look feeling a little shameful for not telling him you knew who he was earlier on.

  
“You… you know who I am?” He asked slowly and you nodded.

  
“Yeah." You drawled. "I'm kind of a huge fan of Captain America. Not to mention how on edge you looked when you came in here. At first, I thought you’d just committed a crime or something.” You laughed lightly.

  
“Nope, not done anything like that.” He paused. “I’m usually not this jittery.” Bucky ran a hand through his hair which stopped just at his jawline. “Well, when I’m in places where people know me, but I hardly ever come to this part of town.”

  
“What made you come over here today?”

  
“Rough night, annoying friends, just needed to get out of the Tower, I guess.” He shrugged.

  
“The Avengers Tower?” He nodded. “Those Avengers not all what they crack up to be?” You joked lightly.

  
Bucky threw his head back and a burst of rich laughter sounded from his stomach. “Nah, they’re alright. Nice really, just pushy sometimes with certain things.”

  
“Tell me about it.” You stopped yourself as you saw Ellie appear with your latte. “Thanks, Ellie.” You smiled as she handed it to you.

  
“Anytime, boss.” She nodded just as another customer was flagging her down. It took a few seconds before you saw the realisation dawn in Bucky’s face.

  
“Wait a minute.” He looked back at Ellie who was serving a customer before he looked at you. “You’re Miss C?” He questioned in disbelief with parted lips.

  
“That I am.” You smirked slightly in anticipation of his words.

  
“Lexi, you matched all those people?”  

  
You nodded. “Sure did.”

  
“That’s amazing.” He smiled. “How… how do you do it, if you don’t mind me askin’?”

  
You dug into the pocket of your apron that was being hidden under the table and got out a small card with several small coffee beans printed on it and handed it to him. Bucky took it from you and examined it for a moment before looking at you and you started to explain.

  
“I give them this. You buy twenty cups of coffee and in exchange, I match you up with someone compatible. Each stamp is either a cup with me or a cup with someone I think might be suitable.”

  
“So, someone comes in, buys a cup, gets a stamp and you find their one true love?”

  
“Yes.” You drawled. “But I don’t guarantee a match, it’s just a strong possibility.” You clarified, not wanting him to think you were a magical cupid of some kind.  
“And I thought it was all online dating nowadays.” He marvelled. “I guess the old ways still work, huh?”

  
“They do. Not had one failure yet, James.” You said proudly.

  
“That’s pretty impressive. This city continues to surprise me in this modern age. I’m surprised I’ve not heard about this place before.” Bucky looked around the room again.

  
“My customers are regulars and loyal. They prefer to find love the old-fashioned way I guess, and a lot of them have met people here. Either romantically or just as friends.” You explained, you loved introducing new people to your business. Making a good impression usually meant the customer would come back and it was what you were trying to do, sell your business just like anyone does but in a more casual and friendly setting.

  
“Does this mean I’ve gotta find love if I wanna buy my coffee here?” You weren’t sure if he was being serious or not and for a moment you thought he had the wrong idea about the whole place.

  
“Oh no!” You said quickly. “Anyone can buy their coffee here whether their looking for love or not.”

  
Bucky’s lips formed a smile. “I was just jokin’ with you.”

  
“Does this mean you’ll be coming back?” You mirrored his question playfully, resting your elbows on the table.

  
“Maybe.” He pursed his lips. “I mean the service has been pretty good, owner’s nice enough.” He smiled, stopping when he saw you raise your eyebrows and he nodded. “Yeah, I think I’ll be coming back.”

  
“For love? If you’re not with someone, that is?”

  
Bucky leaned back in his chair. “Are you hittin’ on me?” He asked lightly.

  
“No.” You shook your head. “I don’t date my customers, James, so there’s nothing to worry about.” Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Tyler approach your table and stopped your conversation with Bucky to let him speak.

  
“Hey, is it okay if I go on my break now?” He wondered and you quickly looked at your watch to check the time.

  
“Yeah, of course. Shit, sorry Tyler, I completely forgot the time. I’ll cover for you.” You assured, feeling awful that Tyler had worked for a tiny bit longer than he should’ve.

  
“Thanks, boss.” He smiled before heading towards the front door of the café and you turned back to the man sitting in front of you.

  
“Sorry James, but I gotta cover Tyler. It’s been lovely to talking to you.” You said to him as you saved your work and shut your laptop down to pack away.

  
“Hey, don’t let me get in the way of running this fine establishment.” He held up his hands.

  
“Full of compliments aren’t you.” You shot back with a smile.

  
He shrugged. “I try. It’s been nice talking to you too. To someone outside the Tower for once.”

  
“Well, stay as long as you like. We shut at five.” You informed him and he nodded, taking in the information.

  
Giving him one last smile, you hurried over to the till and quickly stored the laptop on the shelf under the countertop, checking over Tyler’s section to make sure there was no-one who needed anything. At the same time, you saw two people who you had matched last week walking into your café and heading towards an empty table, the woman sat down and gave the man a smile, telling him what she wanted before he approached you.

  
“Good afternoon, what can I get you today?” You asked in a cheerful, customer service voice.

  
“Two Lattes and do you have any of your famous caramel slices?” Ben ordered.

  
“I sure do.” You smiled. “For both of you.”

  
“Yes, please.” You quickly told him the price and he paid, taking out his matchmaking card for you to stamp after you went to the coffee machine to start making his order.

  
“Things going okay?” You asked him.

  
“Oh yeah.” He nodded. “She’s like the female version of me.” A smile formed on his lips, looking like this was going to be another successful match. It made you smile internally every single time, knowing you were able to help others out there find their happiness and true loves. The results were always satisfying to see and they only motivated you to carry on delivering this service to people.

  
“I’m glad it’s working out.” You said to him with a smile, placing the two mugs on the countertop for him and moved over to the bakery.

  
“Thanks, Miss C. You really are a miracle worker.” He said to you grateful for the service you’d provided him.

  
“Ben, I ain't.” You tried to shake off the compliment. “I'm just trying to match people with their compatibility.”

  
“I don’t know how you do it… but your pretty damn good at it.” He spoke while you put two caramel slices onto two plates.

  
“Thanks, Ben.” You placed everything onto a tray for him with a smile to take back to his date.

  
You spotted Ellie wiping down some tables and you started to wipe down the coffee machine area and the countertop while you didn’t have anyone to serve. With a quick glance up, you saw Bucky still sat on the booth towards the back of the café, he’d changed places, so he was no longer looking at the wall. Moving towards the edge of the counter, you picked up the dirty mugs of coffee that had been left there and took them into the back to wash later.

  
It was a quiet day in terms of matchmaking, no-one had come asking to be matched or had a scheduled meeting with so you could match them with someone. A few dates had come in and from your observations, they’d gone well but you’d get to know more when you check your work phone. Thinking about it, you suddenly realised why the finance numbers hadn’t been adding up earlier, you’d forgotten an extra invoice earlier in the month for more cakes to be delivered for the upcoming party. You made a mental note to go through the invoices when you got back to your apartment that night and add it to the spreadsheet.

  
To pass the time, you checked your personal phone, mainly your social media pages for Brimming with Love, looking at any new reviews and page likes. Leaning on the countertop, you’d received a few more followers on Instagram but Facebook looked pretty dead, you didn’t have a Twitter account because managing two social media accounts was enough. Your friend, Jess, had texted you to remind you about the planned Friday night out, not that you’d forgotten, it’d been in your diary for weeks now.  
“Hey, off your phone.” Tyler’s sharp voice made you snap your head up to him wearing a grin.

  
“Enough of the cheek, yeah?” You shot back playfully, as he was coming around to the back of the till area.

  
“You always tell me off.” He grumbled.

  
“That’s because I’m your boss.” You pushed yourself off the counter and raised an eyebrow. “Besides you’re glued to your phone.”

  
“Yeah, he’s trying to find the love of his life.” Ellie chimed in from the other side of the till with a playful smile. “But he’s pretty hopeless.”

  
“Shut it.” Tyler scowled at her.

  
“Now, now, kids. Play nice.” You warned them both. “There’s some washing to do in the back.”

  
“I’ll do it. I need to take some more plates back there anyway.” Ellie offered and you smiled at her.

  
“Thanks, Ellie.” She disappeared into the back.

  
Turning around to take a quick glance at the café, you noticed Bucky heading your way so instead of going to check how much milk there was in the fridge you waited until he approached the till.

  
“Hey, James. Everything okay?” You asked.

  
He nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for the coffee, Lexi. Think I’ve found my new favourite café.”

  
“Good, I’m glad. Are you returning then?” You could help but ask him again with a smile.

  
“Oh yeah. Before I go, could I get a brownie?”

  
“Sure.” You told him, getting one for him and putting it in a small paper bag for him to take out. You passed it to him, and Bucky handed you a ten-dollar bill for it. “It’s on the house.” You assured.

  
“You sure?” He checked and you nodded in return, just as Ellie shouted you from the back.

  
“I gotta go, enjoy the rest of your day, James.”

  
“You too.” You flashed him an apologetic smile, not waiting around long enough to see him return it before you hurried away to see what she needed. You found Ellie in the small kitchen, struggling to reach something on the top shelf in the cupboard, she was only five foot three, then again you weren’t much taller. Ellie looked across when she heard you enter.

  
“I can’t reach the soap.” She said to you, bringing her arm down from the shelf and rocking back onto her heels.

  
“I’ll get it for you.” Ellie moved out of your way while you got it for her. It was only when she started to run the water did you lean back on the counter and take out a long breath, looking at Ellie with a smile on your face.

  
“Holy shit, El. There was a freaking Avenger in my café!” You squealed unable to contain the excitement any longer. When it had first clicked who Bucky was, it had taken all your professional willpower to not freak out and cause a disturbance in your own café at someone as famous as him being in the same room as you.

  
Ellie looked at you blankly. “Who?”

  
“That guy I was sat with. It was Sergeant James Barnes.” As soon as the name left your lips, Ellie’s eyes suddenly widened with shock.

  
“What?” She asked, astonished and quickly turned off the water before it overflowed.

  
You nodded. “Uh-huh.”

  
“How did you not freak out?” She asked incredulously.

  
“Trust me, I almost did.” You admitted. “Figured he was trying to keep a low profile, though. Don’t blame him the guy.”  

  
“He might bring us some publicity,” Ellie suggested with a hopeful look.

  
You scrunched up your face slightly. “As much as I like getting new customers, I don’t want this place turning into an attraction for the tourists just because one Avenger likes the coffee here.”

  
The income you made was enough to cover the bills of the business and in your personal life too. To you, it didn't matter how many customers came through the door each day, the café wasn’t about that, you valued the loyalty of the people who bought the coffee above anything else. Besides, more customers would only drive those regulars away, the place would lose the vibe it always had, the vibe most people loved about it and it was their reason to keep coming back. One thing was for certain, you knew it wouldn’t be the last time you’d see Bucky Barnes.


	2. Options

Bucky hadn’t expected his day to go the way it had, let alone spending almost an hour in an unfamiliar place. It had been the culmination of spending most of the night awake from his haunting nightmares, still almost three years on since his time in Wakanda and as a result, he’d been in no mood to be around the team that morning. Usually, Bucky tended to walk the streets of New York to clear his head, maybe go into Central Park and keep out of the way of people going about their day. Not drawing attention to himself was something he had perfected over the years, not that he’d found it hard to begin with giving his training.

  
He didn’t quite understand what had propelled him to enter the café, perhaps the reasoning was he’d been walking the city’s streets for almost two hours, not that it had any lasting fatigue on him. Bucky was physically in good shape, thanks to the serum and working out for at least two hours most mornings before starting his day. Yet, the daintiness of the front and how it didn’t stand out like most coffee places did is what attracted him to it, or so he thought. When Bucky had looked up, he’d found the title of the café intriguing too, ‘Brimming with Love’, nothing too bold to suggest it was, in fact, a café. The only giveaway was the menu board outside, indicating the specials the café had on for the day, followed by a hand-drawn heart at the bottom.

  
As with everything about the city nowadays curiosity had gotten the better of Bucky and he’d only expected to a stay there a short while, maybe order his coffee and go. However, as soon as he’d set foot in the doors Bucky felt a good vibe about the place, the relaxed atmosphere, and a nice modern interior. Perhaps this could be his new go-to place, and the only way to find out was to stay and check the place out, he knew he was being paranoid but there was nothing like being too careful nowadays. Bucky beat up bad guys for a living and he was more than capable of handling himself when it came to anyone who posed as a threat, but more often than not, he tried to avoid those situations. Besides, ruining someone’s perfectly good business didn’t look well for The Avengers and Stark would chew his ass if he gave the team bad publicity.

  
By the time he’d gotten his coffee, the place was full and there seemed to be no empty tables much to his disappointment and he thought about asking the barrister who’d served him if he could have it to go instead. Before he did, however, his eyes had moved towards the back of the café where he’d seen you sitting at a table with a laptop, seemingly alone. Maybe he could table share? You wouldn’t mind surely? Bucky wouldn’t have to talk to you, only ask if he could sit at the table and he was more than capable of doing that. He was surprised when you said he could, sitting himself down and doing one last check over his shoulder.

  
That’s when things changed because Bucky had no idea where his confidence had suddenly burst from when he struck up a conversation with you. When was the last time he’d spoken to someone in a casual setting? He couldn’t remember, six months ago probably, back when he had been happier in his life. For reasons he couldn’t fathom he found talking to you surprisingly easy, given in poor track record in almost every recent social setting he’d found himself in. The more Bucky spoke to you, the more it felt like he’d known you his entire life let alone less than fifteen minutes. You were bubbly, friendly and positive although he put that down to the fact you were the owner of the place and acting in a friendly manner was only for good impressions.  
Well, you’d certainly made one on Bucky, not to mention you were pretty too, although looking for a relationship was something that was still up in the air with him. It had been six months, but the feelings were still raw about the whole situation and despite Steve and Sam’s constant nagging about putting himself back out there, Bucky really wasn’t ready. He didn’t want to be put in a situation like that again.

  
Before he knew it, Bucky found himself outside the Tower, having gotten the subway back to upper Midtown. He strode through the large entrance hall, giving the receptionist a quick smile on his way past before getting into the elevator to go up to his floor. Bucky shared it with Steve, Wanda, Vision, and Sam while Natasha, Rhodey, Clint and Bruce shared the floor below. The floor above Bucky was the common floor which was equipped with a kitchen, dining room, a large communal area, and an indoor theatre. The elevator stopped at Natasha’s floor and the woman herself stepped onto the elevator with him.

 

“The illustrious wanderer returns.” She commented with a teasing smile, Bucky grunted in return, not exactly in the teasing mood. “Who’s got on the wrong side of you?” She asked with a raised brow.

  
“No-one.” He grumbled.

  
“We’re all getting together on the common floor if you wanna join?” Natasha offered.

  
“I’ll think about it.” The elevator stopped and he got off on his floor, glad no-one was waiting to get on.

  
With a quick goodbye from Natasha, Bucky headed to his room, there was a lot on his mind from the day. He’d be lying if he hadn’t thought about the whole matchmaking thing, but it seemed too good to be true in his eyes, the whole idea of love was too if he was being honest. Even if he did want to, who on earth would want to date him, learning from previous mistakes Bucky had quickly learned that dating a guy carrying as much baggage as he did wasn’t healthy for a relationship in the long run. Slowly over the past six months, he’d come to accept it, he was too much for anyone to handle, including himself sometimes.

 

* * *

 

 

  
No matter how many times he’d visit that coffee shop again, there was no way in hell Bucky was going to put himself forward to the service you offered. He’d be lucky if you would even get back to him with a woman who would be remotely interested. Yet, his therapist and friends seemed to be banging on about how a relationship would be good for him, especially his therapist who said opening up with someone is healthy. But he hadn’t gone through what Bucky had, he doesn’t suffer from the nightmares and the guilt.

  
Bucky shook his head to rid of those dark thoughts not wanting to fall that dark pit of despair he’d done so well of climbing out of. For now, he wanted to live his life with the freedom he had and with much happiness his body allowed him to have.

  
"Okay, I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon but I’m free on Friday morning. Is that good with you for the first consultation?” You asked Connor, a customer who had been coming into Brimming with Love for a while and had enquired about your matchmaking services.

  
“I’m free on Friday.” Connor said, nodding. “Say about ten?”

  
I can do ten. I’ll see you then and enjoy the iced frappe.” You added with a bright smile.

  
“Certainly will.” He replied, collecting the takeaway cup from the counter.

  
You turned away from the till to the countertop behind you, getting some more milk out of the fridge in preparation for the next customer. You hummed along to the music that was play softly in the background, swaying your hips a little to the beat as you cut open the milk carton, putting it to one side. New York was extra warm today, so you made a mental note to grab some more ice from the back when you had the chance to make sure you were fully stocked in the front. For now, you turned around with the milk to place next to the coffee machine to be greeted by Bucky, causing you to jump backward and letting out a small squeal because you’d never heard him approach. A worried expression washed over his cheerful face.

  
“James, hi.” You said breathlessly, putting the milk down.

  
“Sorry, Lexi, for scaring you.” He looked at you, apologetically.

  
“You can’t sneak up on a girl like that.” You laughed it off.

  
“Ex-assassin habits.” He shrugged with a smile.

  
“Wasn’t expecting you to come back so soon.”

  
“Like I said, my favourite coffee shop.” He still wore his smile on the bright features of his face.

  
“We’ll be seeing each other more often, then?” You placed your hands on the counter to partially lean on them.

  
“Probably. If I ain't out saving the world.” He quipped.

  
“Yeah, Avenging is pretty important.” You agreed with him, nodding. “So, what can I get you?”

  
“Black coffee, please, no sugar.” Bucky asked politely.

  
“Small, medium or large?”

  
Bucky thought for a moment. “Large, please.”

  
“Anything to go with it, a sandwich, a piece of cake?” You suggested.

  
“Could I have another chocolate brownie?” Bucky ordered, looking hopeful.

  
“Liked the one from yesterday?”

  
“Loved it.” He beamed, you moved towards the coffee machine.

  
“In or takeaway?” You asked, looking over your shoulder at him.

  
“Uh, in.” He told you.

  
You quickly made his coffee and got a piece of brownie onto a plate for him, putting everything onto a tray with Bucky handing you a ten-dollar bill. He told you to keep the change and you thanked him for the tip, watching him as he made his way to an empty table. His decision to come back so quickly made you smile internally, there were several other café's in New York, a lot closer to him and probably a little higher end too. Yet Bucky had decided to come back here to visit this one instead and his reasoning behind it sparked your curiosity.

  
However, as much as you wanted to go and sit with him you couldn’t because in ten minutes time you were talking with a woman who wanted to be matched with someone. Perhaps after you’d finished talking to her and Bucky still might be around, you considered sitting with him, if he didn’t mind of course. Bucky had sat at the back of your café, out of the way where he’d attract little attention to himself, like a lot of people there, he wanted to get away from the busy happenings in his life, or so you suspected at least.

  
The meeting with the newest person looking for love went quicker than you expected it to, she was very open with you, about herself, her interests and what kind of relationship she was looking for. Sometimes people found it hard to open up to someone they didn’t know very well and only knew them for serving coffee. It took a lot of persuasion to get them to tell them about themselves as much as possible, so it was easier for you to match them with someone. Most did, once they’d relaxed a little, entrusting you with the information about them. Plus, most had been coming to your café for a while before they enquired.

  
After saying goodbye to her, your eyes searched the room for Bucky who was still sat at his table, busy on his phone thank goodness, you didn’t want it to be awkward if you met eye contact. From his slightly rounded back and somewhat glum expression, perhaps another brownie piece would cheer him up. You looked around for your employees, it was Tyler’s day off today and Scott was in instead, he worked there part-time to cover Tyler and Ellie when they had their days off.

  
They seemed to have everything under control, waiting their tables and taking orders from customers who wanted a refill of their coffee. Heading over to the till, you snuck behind Ellie to make yourself a mocha, needing the caffeine pick-me-up to get you through the rest of your day. You got another chocolate brownie from the cake section, putting it on a small plate before picking up your coffee and walking over to Bucky’s table. He saw you, lifting his head and a smile formed on his lips, was it you, or did he look happy to see you? Perhaps he was being friendly and quickly pushed those thoughts out of your head as you returned the smile.

  
“Got something for ya.” You said to him, putting the plate down on the table in front of him.

  
“Another one?” He turned his head to look up at you with a curious expression.

  
“Figured you might need it.” You flashed him a small smile while sitting down in.

  
“Thank you. You’re really observant.” He raised an eyebrow and you shrugged the comment off.

  
“It’s just knowing what to look for in people’s body language, facial expressions, eye contact, posture. It’s how I match people. I watch how their date is going and if they’re interested in seeing each other again.” You explained to him with a smile on your face.

  
“It’s a good trait to have.” Bucky agreed with a nod. “So, how did all this come about? The shop I mean.” He asked.

  
“It was my Aunt’s. She opened Brimming with Love almost twenty years ago, the anniversary is coming up in a few weeks. I took over it when she retired about six years ago.”

  
There was a sense of pride in your voice that Bucky couldn’t miss, the place was obviously your pride and joy and why wouldn’t you be proud of a place like this. It was small and quiet, but the coffee and food that was served was on another level like so much time and effort had gone into making it. He’d overheard many conversations in his short time sitting at the table that morning and yesterday too, about how much the placed was loved by everyone who walked through the doors. One person had it recommended to them by a friend and now they couldn’t stop coming, the quaint café becoming amongst their favourite places to visit in the city.

  
“I think this place is amazin’ Lexi.” Bucky told you, while quickly glancing around to take in the friendly atmosphere. He genuinely meant that too, it was something special, cosy almost, in a way and the matchmaking thing made it quite unique in his eyes.  
“Thank you.” You beamed from the compliment he gave. “I’m glad you like it here.”

  
At the thought of the matchmaking, a thought struck Bucky. “Can I ask you somethin’?”

  
“Sure, ask away.” You nodded.

  
“I don’t mean to sound cynical or anythin’, but you get to know all these people who want to find love, so why don’t you use that advantage?” You weren’t expecting that kind of question from him, not that you minded because you’d been asked it before, but mainly by the people who you were friends with and knew your present situation.

  
“What makes you think I need to use it to my advantage?” You questioned in return, interested as to how Bucky would respond.

  
“Well, from our conversation yesterday, when I teased you about hittin’ on you and you said that you didn’t date your customers. To me, it’s pretty obvious you’re single. If you weren’t, you come out with that you’re seeing someone.” Bucky gave you a slight smirk, knowing he was correct about your current lack of love life. You had to give it to him, he was just as good as you when it came to reading people.

  
“Oh really?” You crossed your arms in front of your chest. “Look at you, bein’ all perceptive.”

  
“And you’re going off topic.” He shot back, he was good you’d give him that.

  
“About not dating the people I’m trying to find dates for? To be honest, I don’t wanna abuse their trust like that. It’s not about me, it’s about them, trying to find their happiness with the person of their dreams. Watching them interact, laugh and have a good time knowing I helped them bring them together makes it worthwhile. I’ve always wanted to help people, in one way or another and now finally I am.”

  
Bucky’s lips formed a smile when you were talking, able to hear the passion in your voice for not only your job but also your feelings towards those you’ve helped.

  
“It’s a good thing you’re doing too. I’m kinda warming up to the idea.” He suggested with a chuckle.

  
“You wanna be matched?” Your eyes lit up in excitement, leaning forward to rest your arms on the table and eager to hear what he had to say.

  
“Woah, slow down, Lexi.” Bucky held his hands up. “I ain't sayin' that.”

  
“But you’re thinking about it, no?” You pressed, with a small upturn of your lips.

  
“Maybe.” Bucky face remained neutral, making it impossible for you to know if he wanted to or not. “It ain't long since I got out of a relationship.” He added quietly.

  
The small smile faded from your face and you silently cursed yourself for being way too forward with Bucky. Luckily, he hadn’t seemed to take it the wrong way which gave you hope that you hadn’t totally ruined the positive relationship you had built with him.

  
“And you’re trying to find the confidence to get yourself back out there?” You supplied, providing some support.

  
Bucky nodded. “Amongst other things. Steve and Sam are always on my case about putting myself back out there. It’s not easy.” He almost murmured the last sentence, dropping his eye contact and finding interest in his empty mug.  You felt for him a little, although you didn’t know much about him, you saw a man in front of you with many layers that he hid extremely well from others.

  
“You’re right, it ain't.” You agreed with him, desperately wanting to reach out and take his hand. “Everyone has a right to live freely. Especially you.”

  
Bucky lifted his head at your words; his blue eyes were filled with a touch of emotion like he hadn’t been expecting any kind of compliment from you. It made you wonder what the man had been through, it was obvious he’d had some sort of recovery process but you had a funny feeling he was still working through a lot of it. He gave you a small smile in response.

  
“Thank you.” He said with softness to his voice.

  
“I know you don’t know me that well, but if you ever need to talk, James. You’re always welcome here.” You offered with an encouraging smile and his eyes widened slightly.

  
“I-I appreciate that.” The brightness of them slowly returned.

  
Throughout the conversation, you heard the café start to become a little bit busier, looking around you saw that more tables had been occupied.

  
“I’ve gotta go, business has picked up.” You said to him, apologetically.

  
“Of course.” He gave you an understanding nod. “I’ve already taken up way too much of your time.”

  
“You haven’t. You’re good company.” You gave him a reassuring look and paused. “Don’t be a stranger, now.” You added lightly, getting up from your seat.

  
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Lexi.” Bucky replied, shooting you a teasing smile, making you laugh softly. “You can call me Bucky if you like.”

  
“Bucky?” You gave him a questioning look.

  
“Yeah, Steve gave it to me when we were younger. My middle name’s Buchannan.” Bucky explained.

  
“Ahh.” You drawled. “Well then, enjoy the rest of your day, Bucky.”

  
“Hope to. See you around, Lexi.”

 

* * *

 

Maybe the idea of being matched wasn’t so bad after all, or so Bucky thought as he was walking the streets of Manhattan back to the Avengers Tower. For a reason he couldn’t find, he was certainly warming up to the idea like he had told you earlier at the café. If enough people had put their trust in you to allow you delve into their love life then why couldn’t he? Bucky wasn’t the only person in the world to have his heart broken, and perhaps someone of these people you’d helped had theirs broken too. Still, he was in two minds as to whether he’d ask you, it was opening up to you about himself that would be the hardest, as is it with everyone he meets.

  
Bucky was afraid of people thought about him, he never went into too much detail about what had happened to him at Hydra, the mere thought of it sometimes set him off. With what he did tell people on the outside of all that, he was nervous of their judgements and thoughts, and from experience, they kept those to themselves and instead silently judged him in their heads. Like you, Bucky was an observant man, he saw the hesitation when people spoke to him, being cautious to what they were going to say about they really felt about a man who had killed dozens of people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was meant to get this up way sooner but work has been crazy.  
> Thanks for the kudos so far!


	3. A Fresh Start

The weather took a turn for the worst on Saturday, meaning a flock of customers to your café to shelter from the horrendous weather. Good for business, not so good for you trying to function on a self-inflicted hangover from a late night out with your friends the night before. The morning had been long and you hoped it would quieten down towards closing time in mid-afternoon but the rain came down hard just after lunch and was showing no signs of stopping. Not only that, Bucky had stopped by in the morning too, asking to speak to you in private and you told him to come back after around half an hour after closing time and after your staff had gone for the day.

  
You thanked the heavens above when the last customer finally left the café and hurried towards the door to switch the sign over to ‘closed’ as Ellie was finishing wiping down the tables. Tyler was following her, upturning the chairs to place them on the tables so the floor could have a quick sweep. In no less than twenty minutes, Brimming with Love was ready for opening on Monday and you released Ellie and Tyler, telling them to enjoy their day off.

  
Waiting for Bucky, you quickly checked the to-do list for the twentieth party, you and your staff had already been telling customers about it and there was a flyer up on the wall inside too. Music was sorted, lights were sorted and food had been ordered you were figuring out how you were going to shuffle the furniture around to make space, but that could be done another day. Bucky had approached your café from the outside, hood up on his jacket and peering through the window and you gestured to him to come in, a small smile formed on his face. Entering, he looked soaked from the rain outside, pulling down his hood to reveal his brown locks and immediately took it off while you stood from where you were sitting.

  
“Still bad out there?” You asked.

  
Bucky nodded. “Yup. Thought I was gonna drown.” He joked, looking around to put his wet coat.

  
“You can put it on one of the radiators if you like.” You suggested, pointing at their location on one of the walls.

  
“Thanks, Lexi.”

  
“Want a coffee or anything?” You questioned while he went over to it. Bucky took a moment to place his jacket down before turning back to you.

  
“Actually, that’s what I came here to talk to you about.” He replied. You wore a puzzled look on your face as he strode back over to you, wondering what he meant. “I was wondering if I could be matched?”

  
Your lips formed a wide smile and you practically beamed at him. “Of course you can!” You exclaimed. “Bucky I’m so happy for you.” You gushed, excited that he wanted to put himself out there and meet someone.

  
“Yeah.” He smiled. “Took a lot of self-convincing. But I want to.” He breathed.

  
“Right then.” You pulled out a coffee card from your pocket. “You need one of these.” Bucky took it from you.

  
“I was hopin’ to talk with you now, about it, if that’s okay? I don’t wanna meet anywhere public, you know?” Bucky fiddled with the hem of his jumper, quickly looking down.  
“Sure, c’mon. I’ll whip us up some coffee and we’ll chat.”

  
Bucky nodded and sat himself down at the table while you went over to the counter to make the coffee and you couldn’t help but smile internally at the prospect of Bucky wanting to be matched. From what you’d gathered he seemed one of the good guys, not because of his job but how he’d come across to you over the past couple of days. He seemed so pleasant, sweet and honest from the outset, a man who was trying to live his life the best he could.

  
Drinks in your hand and the stamp for his card, you got back to the table to Bucky who was sat there on his phone, however when he saw you approach he quickly put it away and took the mug you was handing him.

  
“So, what do you need to know?” Bucky asked as you sat down, next to him.

  
“First off, I need to know you’re okay with me recording this. Just so I can make notes later and I’ll delete it after. Is that okay with you?” You responded, pulling your phone out of your pocket and Bucky nodded his confirmation. You set it up to record and placed it on the desk, hitting the record button.

  
“Okay, there’s some stuff I need to know from you, but apart from that, you can tell me whatever you feel comfortable with. Obviously, the more you give me, the easier it is to match you.” You started off.

  
“Yeah. Ask away.” He told you brightly.

  
“What kind of relationship are you looking for? Serious, fling, open? That sorta thing.”

  
“God,” he laughed, “forgot there were so many different types, nowadays. Uhh, I’m probably looking for something that could turn serious with the right person. I’m kinda old school.” He added lightly, causing you to smile.

  
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that.” You approved of his comment. “What’s your sexual orientation?”

  
“I’m straight.”

  
“And last one. What’s your age range?”

  
“Probably between twenty-eight and thirty-five.”

  
You nodded. “Okay. What I need you to do now is tell me a bit about yourself and what type of people you could see yourself dating.”

  
Bucky took a sip of his coffee, appearing to be thinking about what he was going to say, this was usually the hardest part for everyone to describe to you who they were.

  
“Um, I guess I’m perceptive of what’s goin’ on around me but I think that’s partly because of my job to be honest. I’m still tryna come to terms with my past, so I need someone who isn’t too needy or clingy. Cuz sometimes I need my own space, you know?” He paused, with a hesitant expression written across his face and swallowed thickly.

  
“I ain’t boring or anything’ like that, I love to go out as much as the next person. I love walkin’ in the city, I’m always catching up on modern stuff like movies, books, television when I’m not working, obviously.” He continued, leaning back in the booth slightly and looking ahead of him. “God, this is hard.” He laughed lightly.

  
“You’re doin, okay.” You reassured. “From what you’ve told me, I’ve got someone in mind.”

  
Bucky whipped his head around in surprise. “Really? You do?”

  
You nodded. “Yep. We can end it there if you like, if you want me to set a date up and depending on how it goes, we’ll meet afterwards.”

  
“Yeah, that’s brilliant, Lexi!” He exclaimed; the features of his face suddenly brightened with a smile forming on his lips.   

  
“Right then, all I need from you is your number so I can add it to my work phone. I won’t give it to her, obviously and I set up all the first dates here.” You explained to him. “If you wanna go on a second date then it’s up to you whether you exchange numbers and what not. And where you go, it could be here again or somewhere else.”

  
Bucky quickly rattled off his number for you, so you’d have it on the recording. “Thanks so much for this. I know I haven’t given you a lot, I-I can’t.”

  
“You’re welcome, Bucky. I don’t know what happened to you, but I think it’s wonderful you’re protecting the world we live in.” Your compliment took Bucky complete by surprise.

  
“I appreciate that.” He smiled after a few seconds. “When will I know about the date?”

  
“I’ll see when she’s free, when you’re free and take it from there.”

  
Bucky smiled, the excitement was evident on his face and you honestly felt happy for the guy, you just hoped that the date would go well too. Having the information you needed, you stopped the recording on your phone and Bucky looked at the two empty mugs on the table. He got the money out that he owed for the coffee, handing it to you and in return, you stamped his coffee card before he promptly stood up and you followed, internally satisfied that you were going to be helping him find love. Bucky went to grab his coat off the radiator, and you looked towards the front of the café to see the rain still coming down and it was showing no signs of stopping. You suddenly remembered you hadn’t brought a coat with you that morning because you hadn’t expected it to rain.

  
“Thanks again, Lexi.” Bucky’s voice broke your thoughts and you turned to him.

  
“Glad I can help.” You smiled. “I’ll write everything up when I get home.”

  
“Want some company?” He asked, politely.

  
“I’ll be okay Bucky, thank you, though. Just gotta brave it out there without a coat.” You said, pointing to the rain. As soon as you’d said it you heard a ruffling of clothes and the next thing you knew, Bucky had his coat in his outstretched hand towards you.

  
“Take it.” He offered. “I can get a cab back.”

  
“Are you sure?” Bucky nodded and you smiled, taking it from him.

  
“Thanks, Bucky. You know, she’s gonna be one lucky girl. Chivalrous and charming guy right here.” You gave him a teasing smile and his cheeks coloured a shade of pink. 

  
“Can’t let a girl walk home in the rain with no coat, it wouldn’t be right. Neither is letting her walk alone, but she already shot me down.” Bucky’s charm was literally oozing out of him and you had to give him credit where it was due, obviously he hadn’t forgotten his forties way’s.

  
“You’ll get soaked if you walk me home.” You protested. “I’ll be okay.”

  
It was enough to convince him, and Bucky let the conversation go, although he didn’t mind in the slightest anyhow.

  
“If you insist. I’ll see you on Monday, then?”

  
“Yep. I’ll be here, working as usual. Have a good rest of your weekend.” You smiled.

  
“You too, Lexi. Take care.” Bucky gave you a smile in return and you found yourself watching him leave the building.

 

* * *

 

After a few texts between yourself, Bucky and a woman called Kate, you had set up a date for Bucky and Kate for later on in the week. Until then, Bucky came into Brimming with Love almost every day with a bigger smile on his face every day leading up to his date. Yet, when it did finally come around Bucky was a bundle of nerves. He’d picked out something to wear the night before but when he stood in front of his mirror, he hated what he was wearing, way too formal for a coffee date. It wasn’t exactly like he could get advice from Steve for Sam because no-one knew about this date he had, in fact, Bucky hadn’t told anybody about the café either to avoid all the teasing he’d get from it.   

  
Bucky decided to lose the long sleeve button up shirt, flinging it onto his bed and rummaged through his t-shirt drawer to find a nice dark polo to go with his dark grey khakis. There, that looked a lot better, but it did nothing for his nerves, having been such a long time since he’d done this last and with a woman it hadn’t worked out with. He tried to put that to the back of his mind and focus on the next few hours ahead of him, hopefully, something would come out of this first date with the woman he was about to meet.  
As soon as you saw Bucky step through the door of your café, you noticed the nervous look on his face as he scanned the bustling café looking for Kate, you’d sent them a photo of each other while you’d been setting the date up. Bucky spotted you stood behind the till and hurried towards you in a bit of a fluster.

  
“She’s not here, yet.” You assured and the muscles in his cheeks relaxed a little.

  
“God, I’m so nervous.” He admitted quietly.

  
“Just be yourself, Bucky. She’s really nice. And you look very handsome, by the way.” A small blush crept onto his cheeks.

  
“Thanks.” He said shyly.

  
“I’ll be keeping an eye on things, from a distance.” Bucky nodded. “Get yourself seated and relax, okay?” You offered a small smile.

  
“Okay.” He repeated, flashing you a smile in return before he found an empty table to sit at.

  
“Ohh is it the big day?” Ellie’s voice sounded next to you while your eyes were fixed on the man in question. Drawing them away, you turned to her.

  
“Yep. Poor guy’s a nervous wreck.” You felt a little sympathy for him.

  
“How do you think it’s gonna go?” She questioned you. 

  
“Honestly, I’ve no idea. Bucky’s a complex guy, from what I’ve gathered. There’s a lot of mystery to him, that’s for sure.”

  
Ellie offered some words of encouragement. “You’ll bring him out of his shell, you always do.”

  
Despite her words, you weren’t sure if you could, given who he was after all. You’d refrained from doing research on him feeling like it was an invasion of his privacy and if he wanted you to know something then it be on his terms.

  
Maybe.” You hummed just as Kate walked into the café.

  
Your attention was back on Bucky, who had also seen her and had stood up from his seat as she approached him. There were smiles and kisses on the cheek from Bucky and he even pulled out Kate’s chair for her, a surprised looked washed over her face as did yours. This guy really was old school like he said he was. After a few words, Kate got something out of her purse which looked to be the coffee card, Bucky took it and he was making his way towards you again.

  
“Black Americano and a Cappuccino please.” He ordered politely, presenting the two cards to you.

  
“Of course. Any pastries or cakes to go with them?” You asked.

  
“No, we’re okay. Thank you.”

  
Ellie had heard Bucky’s order and you heard her starting to make the drinks behind you on the coffee machine. With the cards, you quickly stamped them before totalling the order and announcing the cost of the drinks. Bucky handed the money over readily, those nervous features still remained on his face.

  
“You’ll smash this, Bucky.” You nodded in encouragement.

  
“God, I hope.”

  
“Good luck.” You said just as Ellie placed the mugs of coffee on the tray, Bucky gave a small smile in return before he went back to his date.

  
For the next twenty minutes, in between serving customers, you kept an eye on Bucky and Kate, watching for the signs of attraction and disinterest. Bucky had relaxed considerably during the time, his shoulders moved more freely with his body and his jaw was less tense as he seemed engaged in a conversation with her. Kate was pretty relaxed too, facing towards him and looking interested in what he had to say and smiling along with him. Both of them seemed to be enjoying themselves, but only time would tell if this was, in fact, a true match.

  
However, you saw a shift in them, Bucky had told her something and her smile had faded a little bit. He ran a hand through his hair while he was talking and stopped, looking at Kate expectantly and waiting for her response. She didn’t straight away, but when she did her face was full of concern and even offered a small smile at the end. Bucky visibly relaxed somewhat, but he still looked that little bit on edge and they finished their conversation regardless.

  
You served a customer who walked in with a friendly smile, making their coffee and getting a piece of lemon drizzle cake onto a plate for them. Then your attention was turned to Tyler shouting you from the back so you quickly hurried through to see what he needed. Turned out he couldn’t find the soya milk in the fridge to get out and put into the one under the counter behind the till.

  
“It’s right on the top shelf. It was the first thing I unpacked the other day.” You told him.

  
“Oh, thanks Lexi. I must be blind.” He laughed and suddenly spotted it.

  
“Anytime, Ty.”

  
With that sorted, you retraced your steps back to the front, where Ellie had jumped in your spot in the meantime to serve someone else who was wandering away from the till. Behind them, you saw Bucky, a little crestfallen which surprised you seeing as you witnessed a good first date with him and Kate. Bucky didn’t say anything with the uneasiness apparent in his blue eyes and he looked ashamed, maybe something had happened when you’d disappeared off into the back. A shake of his head confirmed everything.

  
“She was really lovely, but didn’t feel anything, you know. No spark.” Bucky told you sadly.

  
“Bucky I’m sorry.” You gave him a sympathetic look.

  
“Not your fault, Lexi. It’s me.” He sighed. “Can’t make up my damn mind what I want.”

  
“Look, let's have another talk over coffee. Unless you don’t want to.” You added.

  
“No, I want to.” He corrected.

  
“I’ll text you, okay? Not all people match on their very first cup.”

  
Bucky seemed to perk up a bit at your words, his lips turned upwards at the edges and some colour returned to his face. You knew this wasn’t going to be an easy road with him but you were determined to find his perfect match, after all, the guy deserved it.


End file.
